Doctor of Occupational Therapy (Entry-Level)

Program Contact

Karen York - OT Admissions Coordinator
940-898-2801
ot@twu.edu

Admissions Overview

This full-time campus-based program begins once a year in June and the application portal has closed for the June 2025 cohort.  If you have submitted your OTCAS application, it needed to be complete and verified in order for us to continue to review. We are reviewing applications as quickly as possible and sending emails to the email you provided to OTCAS. We are very excited that you have selected Texas Woman's University as a potential graduate program for your OT education. We will be having on campus interviews on Thursday, November 21st and Friday, November 22nd.  We will send out email invitations to those selected for interviews by the end of October to the email your provided to OTCAS.  If you have any questions, please contact us at 940-898-2801 or OT@TWU.edu. 

Admission Requirements (review frequently as these are subject to change annually)

• Baccalaureate degree completed before classes start in June; we accept all accredited undergraduate degrees.
• Minimum overall grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 calculated on the approximate last 60 credit hours of your bachelor's degree, or minimum overall GPA of 3.0 on 12 or more graduate credit hours.
• GRE test scores are not required.
• Prerequisite courses GPA of 3.0 or higher and no grade below C. Advanced Placement credit will not be accepted. Applicants that have all of their prerequisites complete (with the exception of medical terminology) with official grades submitted by our October 1st deadline will have priority for the first round of admission offers. If an applicant is completing prerequisite course(s) after October 1st, we will accept the application for review and if all admission requirements are met, an interview invitation may be offered. We will not offer admission until an official grade report or un/official transcript for remaining prerequisite course(s) are submitted to the Office of Admissions Processing.
• For prerequisite equivalency approvals, email ot@twu.edu with the course title, university attended, and course description.
• Prerequisite Courses:
• Elementary Statistics- Frequency distributions; graphical representation, measures of central tendency, and dispersion; normal curve; hypothesis testing confidence intervals. (TCCN MATH 1342) Requires a minimum of 3 credit hours.
• Anatomy and Physiology I & II Lecture / Lab- Principles of the structure and functions of the human body. (TCCN BIOL 2401 & BIOL 2402) You can take separate Anatomy and Physiology courses with labs but you cannot mix an A&P part I or ll course and then add a separate Anatomy or Physiology course.  Requires a minimum of 8 credit hours total for both lectures and labs.
• Lifespan Developmental Psychology- Development of Personality and learning capacities across the life-span from birth to death; emphasis on interactions of heredity, environment, and maturational processes. (TCCN PSYC 2314) Requires a minimum of 3 credit hours.
• Abnormal Psychology- A study of psychopathology covering the major classification systems including mood disorders and psychotic behavior, defenses, anxiety, methods of psychotherapy, and mental health principles; examination of abnormality in relationship to normal behavior. (TCCN PSYC 2320) Requires a minimum of 3 credit hours. 
• Competency in Medical Terminology demonstrated by a passing grade in a medical terminology course (college credit or continuing education certificate). This may be submitted after acceptance, prior to OTD program entry.  This course is not a part of your prerequisite GPA.
• Complete a minimum of 20 contact hours with an Occupational Therapy Practitioner (OTP; OTR or COTA) You will enter those hours into OTCAS, a separate log is not necessary.
• A minimum of three evaluator/references.  One reference must be from the OTP that you observed for 20 hours. The other two evaluators should be academic and/or professional references.  Applicants should select evaluators that will show their breadth of experience from different sites or institutions.
• All students in the TWU OTD Program must comply with background checks, random drug screening, and immunization requirements in order to progress through experiential learning and fieldwork.

TWU Alumni Advantage Admission Requirements (for TWU students only)

Texas Woman’s University students or graduates who qualify may apply for an Alumni Advantage into the OTD program. In addition to the above requirements, the Alumni Advantage Admission requires:

• Texas Woman’s University baccalaureate degree be completed at the time of enrollment with a Pre-OT track degree plan in Child Development, Family Studies, Health Studies, Kinesiology (Exercise Science), or Psychology.
• A minimum of 30 hours completed at Texas Woman’s University at the time of application.
• Overall GPA of 3.7 on the last 60 credit hours at the time of application.
• Prerequisite courses GPA of 3.5 or higher and no grade below B.
• One of the evaluator references must be from a full-time TWU faculty member in the Pre-OT major under whom the applicant has completed a course of study.

Application Process - Two part process

Part I: Apply to TWU - opens July 1st

1.  Complete the application at TWU Online Graduate Application Portal. 

2. Pay the application fee.  The $50 fee, ($75 fee for international applicants), which applies to all new and returning applicants, can be paid by:

• Credit card - Online through the TWU Online Graduate Application.
• Certified check or money order by mail or electronically - payable to TWU, sent by mail to:
  TWU Admissions Processing, 301 Research Circle, Room 220; Denton, Texas 76204
  (include your full name and ID number).
• Cash (no personal checks) - Pay at the Bursar's Office. After paying, bring the receipt to Admissions Processing (2^nd floor of GRB).
• Fee Waivers - Graduate applicants who are certified McNair Scholars are eligible for a McNair Scholar application Fee waiver. Submit the request using the Application Fee Waiver Submission Form.

3.  You must submit your transcripts from all schools attended

• Domestic Applicants must submit official transcripts for each college or university attended, both undergraduate and graduate. See the Information on Transcripts website for more details.
• International Applicants are now required to provide an evaluation prepared by a NACES or AICE member evaluation service. International transcripts should not be sent directly to TWU.  See the International Admission website https://twu.edu/admissions/international-admissions/#how-to-apply for more details.

5.  Have official TOEFL scores sent to TWU using Code 6826 (if applicable).

Complete the OTCAS Application Process - opens July 19th

1. Apply to The TWU School of Occupational Therapy through OTCAS. If you experience technical difficulty completing the OTCAS application, visit the OTCAS help page.
   
   • Use a permanent email address when applying to OTCAS and check it regularly.
   • Notify your evaluators/references to let them know they will receive a reference request from OTCAS. Applicants are encouraged to follow-up with evaluators to ensure the references are received prior to the deadline.
   • Make certain that the application becomes complete and verified by October 1st.
2.  When you have completed the two-part admission process, you should get an email from the School of OT saying that it has been sent to the admission committee for further consideration.
3. If you are an international student, please review the additional requirements. Submit TOEFL and TSE/Test A (if applicable). 

Technology Requirements for the Program 

• • Guide to Online Learning